Where Do We Go From Here
by Grdnofevrythng
Summary: This story follows our favorite threesome to college. There Chelsea has to deal with some new feelings for Raven. Does Raven feel the same? Read on to find out. Femslash RavChels
1. Chapter 1

I don't own any of the character's from That's So Raven. I'm just borrowing them for a moment.

This is a femslash involving Raven and Chelsea so all of those offended by such subject matter, please go read something else.

This is my first TSR fic, so please be gentle, and no flames please. That's just childish. I look forward to hearing feedback though. So please enjoy.

Chelsea dropped her calculus book on the floor and glanced over at the empty bed across the room, and then at the clock. _Looks like Raven will be out late again_, she thought with a sigh. It had been this way all week. It seemed things were pretty serious with Crystal since the two had started dating three weeks ago, and Chelsea was miserable. Getting up, she picked up her textbooks and sat them on her desk, accidentally knocking over one of her picture frames. Picking it up, she smiled as she looked at it. It was a picture of her and Raven at their senior prom. The night she realized that she was in love with her best friend. She'd gone with Ben, who was a perfect sweetheart, but that night, she couldn't keep her eyes from straying to the beauty that was her best friend. She'd always thought Raven was beautiful, in that best friend sort of way, but that night, she was stunning. She'd spent months designing her dress, Chelsea remembered because she'd been there every step of the way holding up fabrics, running to the store to buy emergency thread, even swiping a mannequin from a store in one of Raven's infamous schemes. She laughed at that memory. But that night, when Raven had entered the room, her world had stopped. And Chelsea knew that her heart no longer belonged to her. Of course, Raven never knew of Chelsea's affections because the redhead had never told her, and she knew she never would. Raven simply didn't look at her that way, and even though she knew nothing would ever make Raven stop being friends with her, she knew if she told the girl of her feelings, things would change. And she couldn't handle that, or worse Raven would pretend to like her back to spare her feelings, and she'd rather live with her secret than to wonder her whole life what Raven was actually feeling.

"Hey girl, you're still awake?" Raven asked as she breezed into the room.

"Yeah, I was just finishing up some studying. I have my first calculus test tomorrow."

"Well, if you need to study, don't worry about keeping the light on I can just face the other way." Raven said sliding her jacket off and hanging it on the back of her desk chair.

"No, I'm done for the night. I don't want to fry my brain with too many formulas. So how was your date?" Chelsea asked, trying to make her voice sound sincere. She tried not to cringe when Raven's whole face lit up at the mention of her date.

"Girl, it was so romantic." Raven said flopping on her bed. "Crystal is amazing."

Chelsea listened as Raven launched into a play by play of the night's events. With every word the girl spoke, Chelsea felt her dream slip away. She was being silly of course. She knew Raven would never see her as anything other than a friend, but it still hurt.


	2. Chapter 2

Raven awoke the next morning in a pretty good mood. She'd had the most amazing dream about the love of her life, and even the thought of the dream brought a smile to her face. Then she looked over at her dream girl. Chelsea lay sleeping like an angel, her wavy auburn hair framing her beautiful face, and for an instance, all was right in her world. She loved Thursday mornings. She had a nine o'clock Intro to the Fashion Industry class, but Chelsea didn't have her chemistry class until eleven so she always slept in. It gave Raven a chance to gaze at her secret love without fear of being found out. It was a guilty pleasure that she rarely got to enjoy. It was also coincidentally the same reason she loved Tuesday mornings as well.

Knowing, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't spend all day staring over at her best friend; she got out of her bed and walked into their bathroom. After a quick shower and brushing her teeth, she got dressed. She stopped in front of the mirror and checked her appearance. Satisfied, she headed out the door and to the dining hall. She'd told Eddie she'd meet him for breakfast, and she was running a little late.

Entering the nearly empty dining hall, she spotted him right away sitting at an empty table. "Hey, I'm sorry I'm late. I had that dream again, and I didn't want to wake up."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "You're so hopeless." He said as he followed her to the food line.

"I know, I know, but I can't help it."

"Rae, why don't you just tell her how you feel? It's been almost four years."

"You know I can't do that." She replied sliding eggs and two pieces of bacon onto her plate.

"Why not? She is your best friend." Eddie asked once they were back at their table.

"That's exactly why. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her, and I'm not willing to chance it."

"What if you didn't lose her? Chelsea's not like that. She wouldn't stop being your friend."

"I know, but things would be changed forever. I would never do anything to make her feel weird around me." Raven said just as she felt two hands on her shoulders. She looked up and saw her girlfriend.

"Hey baby," Crystal greeted her with a slight peck on her lips. "Who feels weird around you?" She asked sitting down and taking a bite of her apple.

"What? Oh no, no one." Raven stammered looking over at Eddie. She silently begged him to let the issue drop.

"So, uh, Crystal what brought you to the dining hall this early?" He asked, changing the subject.

"I actually have to get to the lab early and help Professor Berkeley get the test for the freshman chem labs ready."

"Hey isn't Chelsea in one of your labs?" He asked looking at Raven.

"Yeah, Crystal's the lab assistant in Chelsea chem lab." Raven answered, giggling nervously.

"Yeah, Chelsea really good at the labs. If she keeps it up, the department heads might offer her a job as a lab assistant next year." Crystal replied missing the exchange between her girlfriend and her best friend. She looked down at her watch and stood up. "Shoot, I hate to eat and run, but Berkeley is waiting for me. Bye baby, I'll see you later?" She asked looking at Raven expectantly.

"Without a doubt." Raven said smiling at her.

"Great, well I'll see you then." The older girl said leaning over to kiss her girlfriend before heading out of the room.

"So is it getting serious with you and Crystal?" Eddie asked as they walked out of the dining hall.

"Do you even have to ask?" Raven looked at Eddie.

"Okay, so you won't tell Chelsea how you feel, but you also won't get serious with anyone because you're in love with her?" Eddie asked exasperated.

"It's not that simple."

"Nothing, with you ever is." Eddie muttered under his breath.

"Hey, that's not true. I just fell in love with my best friend, and some day I'll be able to move past it, but it really isn't fair to get serious with someone when I don't have my heart to give them." Raven said. "But thanks for listening. You're the best friend a girl could have." She added hugging him.

They parted ways at their respective buildings heading to their classes. Raven's mind was consumed, as it often was, with thoughts of Chelsea.


	3. Chapter 3

"Chelsea, why don't you just tell Raven how you feel?" Eddie asked as he and his other best friend walked to the dining hall to meet Raven for lunch.

"Because Eddie, Raven doesn't look at me like that. I couldn't handle it if she just did something like go out with me just to spare my feelings. I know Raven loves me, just not in that way." Chelsea said her face downtrodden.

"Raven wouldn't do something like that." Eddie reassured her.

"I don't know. She's done some pretty far out things to protect my feelings." Chelsea said. "Remember what happened with Sam?" She said smiling at the memory. Raven had told her that no one messed with her girl. Chelsea wished with all her heart that she had even a chance of being Raven's girl.

"Hey ya'll," Raven said coming up behind them and wrapped her arms around their shoulders.

Chelsea closed her eyes as the scent of Raven's perfume, Donna Karen, surrounded her, filling her senses. She knew she had to step away from her best friend before she did something stupid like, kiss her neck. So she stepped to the side, only to have Raven link arms with her. Her arm tingled where Raven touched her, and she lost herself in the sensation the innocent touch was offering to her. That is until they arrived at the dining hall and Crystal was sitting on the stairs, waiting for them to make their way to the door.

"Hey baby," Raven said dropping Chelsea's arm and running over to the older girl. Chelsea hated Crystal. She hated that she was tall. She hated that, not only was she a star athlete, but she also was studying one of the hardest majors at the school, and acing every one of her classes. She hated the almost possessive way she constantly touched Raven whenever they were together. She hated her dark curly hair. She hated beautiful honey colored skin and green eyes. But most of all she hated that the girl had the only thing that Chelsea really wanted and needed, but could never have. _Raven_. She had to turn her head when the two locked lips.

"Oh would you two get a room?" Eddie said clearing his voice and patting Chelsea on the shoulder.

Chelsea picked at her food as she sat at the table watching Raven and Crystal gush over one another.

"Chels, are you okay?" Raven asked looking over at her with concern.

_So nice of you to finally notice_, Chelsea thought bitterly. "Yeah, I just have my lab test on my mind."

"Oh it's not that hard. You're really good in lab Chelsea. I'm sure you'll pass" Crystal chimed in.

_Well who asked you, Miss Know-it-all_? Chelsea's mind seethed. "Thanks Crystal." She said plastering on her phony smile. "I think I'm going to get to class early." She said standing up and grabbing her tray before heading out of the building.

Raven caught up to her half way to her class. "Chels, Chels, slow down." She called grabbing the redhead's shoulder. "You want to tell me what's wrong?" She asked, her light brown eyes searching Chelsea's.

Chelsea felt some of her hurt and anger dissipate as she saw the concern in Raven's eyes. "I'm sorry, Rae. I..I just have a lot on my mind, and I'm stressed about the two tests I have today. I didn't mean to snap like that."

"It's okay. You just had me worried." Raven said wrapping her arms around Chelsea, and pulling her into a tight hug.

Chelsea returned the hug, inhaling Raven's scent, and memorizing the feeling of Raven's body pressed against her. They had hugged a thousand times before, but ever since Chelsea had discovered her feelings ran deeper than friendship, every embrace had felt like the very first time.

"Thanks, Rae, I needed that." Chelsea said reluctantly pulling away from Raven.

"Anytime. That's what I'm here for."

_If only that were true_.


	4. Chapter 4

"Which one do you think I should wear tonight?" Raven asked, feigning excitement over tonight's date with Crystal. She held up her pink blazer and then her khaki one for Chelsea's approval.

Chelsea looked up from her biology notes, and studied the two articles of clothing. She was wearing her reading glasses, and had the most adorable look on her face, as she gave the question serious thought. She pursed her lips and it was all Raven could do not to go over and kiss her. "Depends on where you're going."

"Huh?" Raven asked, blushing that she'd been caught staring at her best friend's lips.

"I said it depends on where you're going."

"Oh, well, it's supposed to be a surprise. Casual but not too casual so it's khaki with my blue jeans or pink with my brown pants." She'd been dating Crystal for over two months, and she had the feeling it was about to end. She still wasn't ready to get serious, but she definitely got the feeling that Crystal was. The older girl had been hinting at it for the last week. Asking Raven about her plans over the holidays, asking when Raven was going to invite her over to the Chill Grill so that she could meet her father. Things Raven was definitely not ready to talk about. And then it happened; her sight became blurred and she was frozen in place.

"Raven, I love you…" 

"You just had a vision didn't you? What was it?" Chelsea asked standing and walking over to Raven.

"It was Crystal. She told me she loved me." Raven said quietly. She knew that tonight would be the last night she would ever go out with Crystal.

"That's…great, Rae." Chelsea said. Raven thought her friend's voice sounded a little weird, but she couldn't worry about that right now.

"Yeah, it's great."

_Why couldn't it be you?_

Biscuitheadchels: Eddie, Eddie are you there?

Biscuitheadchels: Eddie it's an emergency!

DJEddieT: Chelsea, what's wrong?

Biscuitheadchels: The worst thing in the world has happened…

DJEddieT: OMG! What happened? Are you ok? Is it Raven? Chelsea answer me!

Biscuitheadchels: I would if you would stop typing for one minute.

Biscuitheadchels: Raven had a vision.

DJEddieT: Ok…and?

Biscuitheadchels: And in the vision Crystal told Raven she loved her. Eddie I don't know what to do. I can't deal with this. I can't. It's hard enough for me to pretend to be happy for her now, but this.

DJEddieT: Chels, calm down. I think maybe it's time for you to tell Raven how you feel.

Biscuitheadchels: Eddie…you know I can't do that. I couldn't handle it if she told me she loved Crystal more.

DJEddieT: But Chelsea, what do you have to lose?

Biscuitheadchels: Raven

DJEddieT: But if she's in love with Crystal haven't you already lost her?

Biscuitheadchels: I…guess…I don't know…maybe…

DJEddieT: Come Chelsea, I think you should just tell her.

Biscuitheadchels: Maybe you're right. I really don't have anything else to lose. Thanks Eddie.

DJEddieT: No prob. That's what I'm here for.

Chelsea stood up from her computer and mulled over her decision. Eddie had a point; either way, she stood to lose Raven. A shiver went down her spine at that thought. What's the worst thing that could happen, right? She paced the room, going back and forth over her decision for the next half an hour. Raven wouldn't be home for at least another two or three hours so she had some time.

"Raven, you know how you're a lesbian, well guess what I'm one too. I know it's a shock, but ever since the prom I've had these feelings for you…No, that's no good." Chelsea said, berating herself. "Hey Rae, I know you have a girlfriend, but I was thinking, maybe you would dump her and give me a chance." _Yeah right, Daniels, who are you kidding?_ "Hey Raven, -"

"Hey, Chels…" Came a reply from behind her.

She swung around, not having heard Raven enter. _I wonder how much of that she heard._ "You're home early. I wasn't expecting you for at least another…" The words died on her lips as she saw Raven's shoulders shaking as she sobbed silently. "Ohmygod, Raven what's wrong? Are you hurt? Did Crystal…"

"No, I'm fine. Well as well as can be expected." Raven said through her tears. "We broke up."

"Broke up! But Rae, your vision…" Chelsea said though a part of her heart soared at the revelation.

"I know. It came true. That's the problem." She said walking over to her bed and flopping down.

"Okay, I'm not following you." Chelsea replied walking over and sitting next to her on the bed, surprised when the sobbing girl laid her head on her shoulder.

"Well, my vision came true. Crystal told me she loved me, but I…I couldn't say it back…" Raven sobbed.

"Wait, what? Why couldn't you say it back?"

"Because I don't love her. I...she knew that I wasn't looking for anything serious. I'm just…not ready for anything serious."

"You're not?" Chelsea asked, her revelation dying on her lips.

"No, I can't handle it right now." Raven sniffed.

"Oh…" Was all Chelsea could manage to choke out.

"And I know it's not fair to keep…keep seeing her when I knew she was expecting more from me, more from us. So I broke up with her." Raven hiccupped. "I did the right thing…right Chelsea?" She asked, her honey colored eyes looking up at her friend. Chelsea felt her heart melt.

"Of course you did, honey. If you're not ready, you're not ready." She replied wrapping her arms around Raven and pulling her into a hug. She pressed her lips to her forehead. She felt Raven press her lips to the side of her neck, and she closed her eyes. She could barely contain the moan that sprung to her throat, but as soon as the lips were there, they were gone again.

She got up to move over to her bed, but a hand on her arm stopped her. "Chelsea…" Raven said almost uncertainly.

"Yeah Rae?"

"Do you think maybe…I mean you don't have to, but I was just wondering if…" Raven stopped closing her eyes a moment before continuing. "Do you think you could hold me tonight? At least until I fall asleep. It's ok if you don't want to. I know it sounds kind of weird…"Raven babbled.

"Of course I will." Chelsea interrupted. _Whoa there Daniels, don't get too excited._ She just couldn't help herself, a chance to hold Raven in her arms. It was too good to resist. She turned and walked into their bathroom to change into her pajamas. When she came back into the room, she found Raven changed and sitting in her bed. She climbed in the bed, and Raven slid between her and the wall, and she reached over and turned off the light before letting her hand slip over Raven middle.

"Chelsea…"

"Yeah Rae?"

"Thanks…"

"No problem."

She lay awake long after Raven's breathing had evened out. Silently her heart was breaking. The last thing Raven needed to hear was a confession of love from Chelsea. She wasn't ready to love anybody, especially not Chelsea.

_No problem at all…_


	5. Chapter 5

Raven's lids were heavy as she tried to open them, not that she wanted to open them. She'd been having the most wonderful dreams about strawberries. In fact, she could still smell them. The scent was surrounding her, making her feel slightly lightheaded. Finally, she was able to open her eyes and was met with the most amazing vision she'd ever seen. She was face to face with an angel. Her angel. Chelsea Daniels. Then she recognized where the smell of strawberries was coming from, Chelsea's hair. She tried to move but the hand around her waist tightened. She smiled, laying her hand on top of it.

She briefly remembered last night's date with Crystal and asking Chelsea to hold her for a little while. Once she'd been snuggled in Chelsea's arms it hadn't taken long for her worries to fade away. It felt good to be in her arms, almost too good. She'd been so upsetting about breaking up with Crystal. It wasn't that she didn't care about the older girl, because she did a lot more than she ever thought she could, but she couldn't love her the way that she wanted, and she knew it was unfair to string someone along like that.

Besides she knew that no one would ever be able to capture her heart the way that the redheaded beauty laying next to her had, and settling for anything less than that wasn't fair to her heart. So she'd come home crying her eyes out, and there was Chelsea offering her a shoulder to cry on. Her lips still tingled from when they had touched the oh so soft skin of Chelsea's neck. She hadn't even been aware she was doing it until she had felt a moan bubbling up from deep in her stomach, but she'd give her right arm just to be able to do it again.

She felt Chelsea stir next to her. Beautiful brown eyes stared back at her, and for a moment she thought she saw something spark in them. She shook her head slightly, and saw Chelsea's face brighten with a smile.

"Mornin'" She mumbled.

"Good morning," Raven replied with a smile of her own.

"How are you feeling?"

"A lot better…thanks"

"For what?" Chelsea asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion.

"For last night." Raven answered smiling at the cute way Chelsea's nose was crinkling.

"Oh, no problem, that's what best friends are for, right?"

"Right!"

And Chelsea was the best friend she'd ever had.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few weeks flew by for the girls. Chelsea was living the life of the average science major, doing more studying that she thought should be humanly possible. Yet she managed to make it to all her extra curricular clubs, and even a few of Raven's. They had been spending a lot time together. Raven had even gotten her to go to a few Queer Alliance meetings. That in itself was an experience, but she'd never met a warmer group of people. She'd even made a few new friends. Mostly, she just enjoyed spending the time with Raven. It probably wasn't wise because the more time they were together the deeper she fell, and Raven consumed almost her every thought.

Even now, she was supposed to be studying chemistry formulas and all she could think about was how good Raven had looked in her jeans the day before. Chelsea blushed at this particular memory; she'd been staring so hard that she'd run into the trashcan at the Commons. Sighing, she picked up her notes again and tried to memorize yet another formula. She glanced at her watch wondering where Raven was. She'd declined going to the QA meeting tonight knowing how much she'd needed to study, but considering that she hadn't actually retained any of the information from her notes, she should have just gone.

"Hey Chels, how goes the studying?" Raven asked coming in and dropping her bag on her bed.

"I feel like my brain is completely fried, but other than that, it's going great."

"Well don't mind me. I'll be out of your hair just as soon as I take a quick shower." Raven said grabbing her towel and heading to the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Chelsea called after her.

"A few of us from QA are going to the club." She called back nonchalantly as she turned on the water in the shower.

Chelsea threw her book and notes aside. She knew there would be no studying now that Raven was no more than a few feet away, naked, in the shower. _Oh to be a bead of water on her body,_ Chelsea thought unconsciously licking her lips. Shaking her head, she tried to dissipate her wayward thoughts. There was no need to go down that road, or she'd be spending another frustrated night alone, remembering what it felt like to hold Raven in her arms.

She heard the water cut off, and Raven walked back into the room wrapped in her towel. She headed over to her closet and opened it standing behind it as she got dressed.

"Uh Rae…" Chelsea said hesitantly.

"Yeah Chels…" The closet door muffled her reply.

"Do you mind if maybe, I tag along tonight?" Chelsea asked, tempted to walk over to the closet and show her best friend that what she had on her mind was definitely something they'd need to stay in for.

"Uh, what about studying?" Raven asked. She seemed reluctant to have Chelsea go.

"Well like I said before, I'm kind of fried, but I understand that you've made plans with you friends." Chelsea tried to hide the hurt in her voice.

Raven stepped out from the closet. Chelsea had to admit that she looked amazing. She had her True Religion dark blue jeans on, with her new juicy couture baby pink tee, and her khaki blazer. She'd slipped on her beige heeled boots, and was now towering over Chelsea a few inches.

"It's not that I don't want you to go. I just…it's not a straight club." She said brushing her hair in the mirror.

"So? Does that mean there will be no dancing? Do they not dance at gay clubs?"

"No, they do. It's just that there's going to be girls dancing with girls."

"Rae, I know what gay means. I'm the first person you came out to, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. Well, if you're sure that's not going to bother you, than please feel free to tag along." Raven said as she put on her earrings.

"Great, I'll be ready in two minutes." Chelsea said as she headed to the bathroom.

It took her longer than two minutes, but by the time the gang had arrived at the door, she was ready.

"Hey guys, Chelsea has decided to tag along." Raven said as they headed out of the door.

"Great, I hope she'll be saving a dance for me." An older girl with bronze skin and dark wavy hair, said from the behind her.

"Hey, hey, back up off of her. She's my date for the night." Raven said with a wink at Chelsea.

_If only that were true._


	7. Chapter 7

They entered The Pink Elephant, with no problems. One of Raven's friends, Jaime, was dating one of the bartenders that worked there. They walked to the bar and sat down since there were no free tables. Raven looked over at Chelsea and felt her temperature rise. The redhead was wearing a rose colored, satin camisole, and tight black Seven jeans, and black heeled boots. Raven couldn't take her eyes off of her. She looked over at Veronica Colón. The Cuban upper classmen seemed to be having the same problem. Raven felt her blood boil as she saw the almost predatory gleam in her hazel eyes. She watched as the girl sauntered over to Chelsea, who was standing against the wall. She slid her hand above Chelsea and leaned against that same wall making sure she was getting very close to the redhead.

"Here you go, try one of these." Jaime said handing Raven a shot. She swallowed it quickly, barely noticing the burn in her throat as it went down. Her eyes were glued to the two standing on the wall.

"You better watch it. It looks like Ronnie is out to still your girl." He whispered in her ear.

"She's not my girl. Chelsea's straight." Raven said with a dismissive hand. Then she saw Ronnie take Chelsea's hand, leading her to the dance floor, and the dancing they started to do was anything but straight. Raven grabbed the other shot out of Jaime hand and downed it. Before heading over to the dance floor.

"Hey I was going to drink that…" Jaime called after her over the music.

She walked over to the dancing couple, who was now doing a sort of grind, and tapped Ronnie on her shoulder. "Oh hey Baxter, what's up?"

"Do you mind if I cut in?" Raven asked, trying to keep her eyes off of Chelsea's gyrating body.

The older girl looked down at Chelsea, and then back at Raven. She thought about declining the younger girl's offer, but the look in Raven's eyes told her "no" wasn't an option for her. "Be my guest." She said stepping away from the redhead and winking at Raven.

Raven stepped behind Chelsea just as the song was changing. The pulsating sounds of Daniel Beddingfield's song fill the air. She closed her eyes and let the words of the song and feel of Chelsea body moving and sliding against her wash over her.

_If only I could get through this  
I get through this_

I gotta get through this  
I gotta get through this  
I gotta make it, gonna make, gonna make it through  
I'm gotta get through this  
I gotta get through this  
I gotta take my, gotta take my mind off you

She could smell the scent of Chelsea shampoo, which was mixing with the scent that was pure Chelsea, and Raven thought she would faint from being so lightheaded. She slid her hands down Chelsea's sides to her hips, and pulled her to her until her back was against Raven's chest, and their hips were grinding together.

_Give me just a second and I'll be all right  
Surely one more moment couldn't break my heart  
Give me 'til tomorrow then I'll be okay  
Just another day and then I'll hold you tight  
_

It was hard to keep herself from getting caught up in it all. For the first time, she could touch Chelsea in ways that's she'd only dreamed of. And Chelsea felt so good against her. She wondered what would happen if she swept her long red hair aside and kissed the back of her neck. She felt her hands moving and forced them to move to Chelsea's waist.

_  
When your love is pouring like the rain  
I close my eyes and it's gone again  
When will I get the chance to say I love you  
I pretend that you're already mine  
Then my heart ain't breaking every time  
I look into your eyes_

The words of the song hit Raven right in the gut. She'd never really paid attention to the song before, but it made everything she was feeling come to the surface, and she felt raw and exposed. She almost walked away, but then Chelsea turned around and their eyes locked, and they stayed that way for what felt like an eternity. For a moment, she let Chelsea see everything that she was feeling, and she was almost sure that she saw the same thing reflected back from Chelsea.

_That's just wishful thinking, Baxter_. She shook the thoughts from her head and lowered her gaze for a moment. They went back to dancing, but Raven was careful not to let herself get caught up in the feelings anymore.

Chelsea was having a similar reaction to dancing with Raven. Her body felt alive, and for the first time she was allowed to touch and be touched in a way her body had ached for, for such a long time. It was also the first time, she'd let Raven see everything she'd been feeling for the past six months. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a hint of that reflected back at her in Raven's eyes. But then Raven had looked away, and now Chelsea was left confused and afraid to hope.

She and Raven continued to dance to a few more songs, and then a slow song came on. She felt Raven try to pull away, but she wasn't quite ready to let this moment end, so she wrapped her arms around the dark haired girl's neck and pressed her body against her. She was almost certain she heard Raven's breathing change, and when she pulled back to look at her face, she thought she saw a slight blush on Raven's cheeks.

_Have you ever loved somebody so much  
It makes you cry  
Have you ever needed something so bad  
You can't sleep at night  
Have you ever tried to find the words  
But they don't come out right  
Have you ever, have you ever_

Have you ever been in love

_Been in love so bad  
You'd do anything to make them understand  
Have you ever had someone steal your heart away  
You'd give anything to make them feel the same  
Have you ever searched for words to get you in their heart  
But you don't know what to say  
And you don't know where to start _

Chelsea felt these words with every fiber in her being. She gazed up into Raven's eyes, willing her to see everything that was in her heart, and for a moment she thought that Raven understood. She saw something reflected in the eyes that were staring back at her, and her heart soared. She noticed that Raven also seemed to be having trouble making eye contact with her. She wondered what that was all about.

"So, are you having a good time?" Raven whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, I'm having a great time. Thanks for letting me tag along." Chelsea replied, trying to hide the slight shiver she got when she felt Raven's breath on her ear.

"No problem, I love spending time with you Chels." Raven said smiling.

"I love spending time with you too, Rae." Chelsea let her head rest on the dark haired girl's shoulder.

_Have you ever found the one  
You've dreamed of all of your life  
You'd do just about anything to look into their eyes  
Have you finally found the one you've given your heart to  
Only to find that one won't give their heart to you  
Have you ever closed your eyes and  
Dreamed that they were there  
And all you can do is wait for the day when they will care_

Chelsea closed her eyes and imagined that this was real date, and that Raven was feeling all the same things that she was. Raven's arms moved to hang loosely around her waist. Then, she felt a hand rubbing her lower back, sending delicious sensations up and down her spine. She had to will her breathing to remain normal even though her insides felt like they were turning into jelly.

She let her forehead fall to Raven's shoulders, silently inhaling her perfume, letting it fill her senses. Then before she could stop herself, she pressed her lips to the delicate skin of Raven's neck. It was only when she heard Raven gasp that she realized what she done. She looked up and saw the shock on the psychic's face. She mumbled an apology and something about having to go to the bathroom and walked off the dance floor towards the restrooms.

_What do I gotta do to get you in my arms baby  
What do I gotta say to get to your heart  
To make you understand how I need you next to me  
Gotta get you in my world  
'Cuz baby I can't sleep_

Chelsea walked into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She berated herself for being so stupid. It was like she was no longer in control of her actions, and that was very dangerous. She splashed some water on her face, and walked back out of the door. On her way out, she ran right into Veronica Colón. Chelsea had gotten the distinct feeling that the older girl had been flirting with her when they'd first arrived.

"Oh sorry, Veronica, I didn't mean to." Chelsea apologized.

"Don't worry about it. It's cool. And the name's Ronnie by the way." Veronica said leaning against the wall.

"Ronnie it is then, well, I'd better get back to the group." Chelsea said trying to get past the Cuban girl.

"Hey Chelsea, wait." Ronnie said, grabbing her arm.

"Yeah?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to do this." The girl replied, pulling Chelsea against her and crushing her lips to her.

It took a moment for Chelsea to realize what was happening. It was the first time that she'd ever been kissed by a girl, and for a moment she was upset that it wasn't Raven. _Worry about that later, Daniels._ She pushed away from Veronica hard, almost falling in the process.

"What the hell was that?" She asked wiping her mouth.

"Sorry, I didn't know how else to get your attention." Ronnie replied with a cocky grin.

"Well, a 'hello' would have been enough."

"How was I supposed to say hello when you spent the whole night in the arms of tall, dark, and lovely?" Ronnie asked sauntering over to her.

"Look, I don't know where you're going with this, but I don't think I can offer you what you want."

"Oh? And why is that?" Ronnie asked peering into Chelsea's eyes.

"Because I…I like someone else, and I'm not looking for anyone else."

"Let me guess…it's Raven Baxter."

Unbeknownst to the other two, their kissed had been witnessed by another set of eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

The next week was what science majors called "hell week". So Raven barely saw Chelsea, which was actually a relief for her, because at least if she didn't see her, she didn't have to admit the truth to herself, a truth that she'd been denying since that fateful night. That Chelsea did like women. She just didn't like her. She closed her eyes as the reality washed over her causing her so much pain she almost doubled over.

To make matters worse, Chelsea was spending a lot of her free time with Ronnie. Chelsea hadn't come out and said that they were seeing each other, but Raven had seen the kiss, hell, she'd dreamed of kissing Chelsea that way for nearly four years. Raven didn't think that she'd be able to pretend to be happy when her dreams were slowly dying.

As it was, Raven knew she couldn't continue the way she had been. She wasn't eating. She wasn't sleeping. In fact, every time she closed her eyes, she saw the kiss. Even Eddie was worried about her. She was thankful that Thanksgiving break was coming up next week. All she had to do was make it through this one. It shouldn't be hard. Chelsea was going on a ski trip this weekend with her Women in Science club.

So all she had to do was avoid Chelsea until then and everything would be all right. The sound of her instant messenger going off distracted her for a moment.

DJEddieT: Rae, Rae are you there?  
4Everstylin: Yeah…  
DJEddieT: I'm heading over to the dining hall for dinner. Wanna come along?  
4Everstylin: No, not really. I'm not all that hungry.  
DJEddieT: Rae, you have to stop this. You need to eat.  
4Everstylin: Don't tell me that, tell my stomach.  
DJEddieT: Well you don't come with me to dinner then I'm going to bring dinner to you. Do you really trust me to pick out something for you to eat?  
4Everstylin: Good point. I'll meet you up there in five.

Raven walked up to the dinning hall, and met Eddie at the door. The dinner rush was over, and the crowd had thinned out. Raven wasn't really interested in any of the things on the buffet, so she made a sandwich and grabbed a juice.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Eddie asked her sternly.

"Nothing else interested me." Raven replied nonchalantly.

"Raven, you're going to make yourself sick." Eddie said concerned. "Chelsea wouldn't want you to do what you're doing, and if she found out she'd be pretty pissed."

"Yeah well Chelsea doesn't know, now does she?" Raven challenged him.

"I don't know what?" Chelsea asked sitting at the table.

"Girl, how good this sandwich is." Raven answered, quickly taking a big bite of her bland sandwich.

"Well, I'm glad to see you making healthier eating choices." Chelsea said smiling at Raven.

Raven had really missed that smile, and for the first time Raven allowed herself to feel how much she'd missed Chelsea over the past couple of days, which was a lot more than she'd ever thought possible. She missed Chelsea so much, that even though the girl was sitting right next to her, she still felt the lost of their close connection from weeks before.

"I hope you guys don't mind, but I told Ronnie she could eat with us." Chelsea said looking over at Raven expectantly.

"Oh no, it's cool." Raven said shredding her sandwich into little pieces.

"Hey all," Ronnie said as she walked over and sat down.

"Hey Ronnie, nice jacket," Eddie said admiring the older girl's leather racing jacket.

"Thanks, it was a birthday present from my father."

"The best part is it was made from synthetic fabrics. So no little animals were harmed in making it." Chelsea gushed.

"Yeah, my parents are big environmentalists…so." Ronnie added with a shrug.

"They're even sending her this really cool gear for the ski trip this weekend."

"Wait, wait, wait, you're going on the ski trip?" Raven interrupted.

"Yeah, is there a problem?" Ronnie asked looking over at Raven.

"No there's no problem."

_Except now all weekend I'll keep picturing you two together._


	9. Chapter 9

"I don't know, Ronnie. I still don't see it." Chelsea said to her new friend as they made their way back to the cabin.

"Oh please, Chels. Blind people can see it. Look at the way she looks at you."

"She looks at me like she always has." Chelsea said.

"Maybe she's always been in love with you."

"No way…"

"Didn't you see the way she reacted when she found out that I was going on this trip? And how she insisted on helping you carry all your things to the bus? What about the fact that extra long hug she gave you before you got on the bus? She was shooting me looks the entire time."

"Don't be ridiculous. What kind of looks was she giving you?"

"Ones that said 'Back off, she's mine.' I'm telling you. She thinks I'm some kind of threat."

"No, Raven's just always been really protective of me." Chelsea said before she told Ronnie the story about Sam.

"If that story doesn't prove her love, I don't know what does." Ronnie said as they sat down at the table with their mugs of hot chocolate.

"What are you talking about?"

"How many girls do you know that, in high school, would dress up as a guy, go to the guy that stood their best friend up, and try to make him see what he was missing out on? She was in love with you even then."

Chelsea considered what the other girl told her. She knew that Raven had always gone out of her way to protect Chelsea, but that was just how Raven was. Yet, she only seemed overprotective of Chelsea, not Eddie. "So let's just say Rae is interested in me, why wouldn't she just tell me? I mean I am her best friend."

"Why don't you tell her how you feel?"

"Because she is my…best friend…Oh, I see what's you're doing. So how am I supposed to find out if she likes me or not?"

"Well there are a few ways, but the first one I think you should start off with is coming out your beloved best friend."

And so the two of them came up with a plan.


	10. Chapter 10

Chelsea had been unusually quiet when she got back from her ski trip, which was just fine with her because she was uncharacteristically grumpy, from having gotten no sleep over the weekend. All she could think about was Chelsea and Ronnie, cuddling, and kissing, and she didn't want to imagine what else.

Wednesday rolled around quickly, giving the roommates a much-needed break from each other. Raven kept busy helping out at the Chill Grill, and spending time in her room, sulking. She knew her mother suspected something, but she hadn't asked, and Raven wasn't about to volunteer the information. Thanksgiving dinner was successful and quiet saved for Raven and Cory's petty bickering.

Then on Friday evening she got an unexpected phone call. She had just gotten in from her shift at the Chill Grill when she heard her phone ringing. She raced upstairs and made a dive for the phone. She didn't even stop to look and see who was calling. The moment she picked up, she wished she had.

"Hello?" Raven answered.

"Rae? It's me Chelsea." Came the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Oh, hey Chels," Raven said evenly.

"I was wondering. What are you doing tonight?"

"Well, nothing really, I just got back from work. I was just going to chill, maybe watch a movie. Why?"

"Well, it is totally dead here, and I was wondering if I could come over, maybe stay the night. You know, like the old days."

"Sure, I guess that would be okay." Raven said reluctantly.

"Great, I'll be over there in about fifteen minutes."


	11. Chapter 11

Chelsea checked her appearance in the mirror one last time. She went over the plan in her mind, and willed herself to be more confident. The more she thought of Ronnie's words the more she needed to be certain of how Raven felt. A part of her was excited about it. The other part was scared of finding out what deep down she knew was the truth. That Raven would never feel for her in that way.

"_Just trust me, and stick to the plan. I know what I'm talking about."_

Ronnie's words rang through her as she walked over to the Baxter's house. She hadn't seen Raven in almost a week. Raven had left for Thanksgiving break before Chelsea had gotten back from her calculus class, and before then Chelsea had been too busy finishing up labs and study groups to actually spend time with her friend, but it was a good thing because she needed to get her plans together. She took one last deep breath before she knocked on the door.

Raven opened the door, and Chelsea felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Raven's hair was pulled up in a ponytail, she had on a white t-shirt, and blue jeans, but to Chelsea she looked like an angel. Raven's honey colored eyes were looking back expectantly. She blushed, having been caught staring. "I'm sorry what did you say?"

"I said would you like to come in?" Raven asked with a slight smile.

"Yeah, yeah, I would love to come in." Chelsea said as she walked in. "Where is everybody?"

"My mom's at a class. My dad is at the Chill Grill, and Cory is over William's for the night."

"Oh ok, cool, I brought a movie with me. It's called _Love Actually_. I've never seen it, but Ronnie says it's pretty good." Chelsea wasn't sure, but she thought she saw Raven stiffen at the mention of the other girl. _Hmm, maybe Ronnie's right._ That's when she saw Raven turn her head and freeze in place. She was having a vision.

"What was it? What did you see?" Chelsea asked once Raven snapped back to attention.

"Oh it was nothing. Why don't you head down to my room? I'll grab the popcorn and a couple of sodas." Raven said in a tone causing Chelsea concern. She was about to press the issue, but thought better of it.

She walked down to the basement, and began pacing around the room. She was going to come out to Raven tonight, but she wasn't supposed to tell the psychic that she had feelings for her. Ronnie had said she was to do so under no circumstances. Right now was just to get Raven thinking that she might possibly have a chance with Chelsea. Chelsea really hoped Ronnie was right about everything. She nearly jumped when she felt Raven's hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ok, Chels? You seem a little jumpy tonight." Raven asked her eyes full of concern.

"Yeah I'm fine, but I…Raven sit down I want to talk to you about something." Chelsea said taking a deep breath.

Raven sat looking at her expectantly, almost like she was waiting for what Chelsea had to say. But how could that be? Two words…her vision.

"I have something to tell you. It might come as a shock, but I'm sort of…interested in someone." Chelsea said looking over at Raven just as she saw the girl close her eyes with a sigh.

"Is this person a girl by chance?" She asked with opening her eyes.

"Ye…yesss…it's a girl." Chelsea didn't understand where Raven was going with this.

"Is it someone that I know?"

"Yes, you know her. Actually, you know her pretty…"

"Let me guess who it is. Ronnie, right?" Raven interrupted.

Chelsea was taken aback. Why would Raven think she was interested in Ronnie? "Ronnie? Raven what are you talking about? Why would I like Ronnie?"

"I saw you kiss her that night the Pink Elephant." Raven replied.

_Uh oh_, Chelsea thought. "Oh, you saw that?" She asked quietly. "Well, I don't like…"

"You don't have to lie about it. It's okay. I'm happy for you. Can we just start watching the movie?"

"But Raven, I…"Chelsea tried again.

"Chelsea please." Raven said walking over to the DVD player and popping the movie in.

Chelsea settled on the floor next to Raven. When had life gotten so complicated?


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I don't own this song. It's by Mariah Carey, and in this instance sang by Olivia Olson in the movie _Love Actually_. It's a good movie. You should check it out. _  
_

_I don't want a lot for Christms_

_There is just one thing I need_

_I don't care about the presents_

_Underneath the Christmas tree_

_I just want you for my own_

_More than you could ever know_

_Make my wish come true_

_All I want for Christmas is you_

Raven had to close her eyes when the first strains of music reached her ears. The tears that sprang to her eyes were almost too much for her to hide. She tried to open her eyes and concentrate on the talented girl that was singing on the stage at the end of the movie. The whole movie had been a lot to watch. She could sympathize with almost every character in the movie, but the one she connected with the most was the man that was in love with his best friend's wife. She connected with him because he was in love with a woman he knew he never could have.

The entire movie she'd longed to hold Chelsea, and cuddle with her. She longed to run her fingers through that long, wavy auburn hair. She wanted nothing more than to be filled with the scent of strawberry, which was secretly becoming an obsession for her. She knew that would never be, especially since now Chelsea had Ronnie.

_I don't need to hang my stocking_

_There upon the fireplace_

_Santa Claus won't make me happy_

_With a toy on Christmas day_

Raven looked over at Chelsea and wondered for a moment if things would be easier if she and Chelsea just weren't friends anymore. But even as the thought entered her mind, she shoved it out. She needed Chelsea like she needed air to breathe. She would never be able to live without her. She knew if all Chelsea had to offer her was friendship, then she would take it. But that didn't stop it from hurting.

_Oh, all the lights are shining so brightly everywhere_

_And the sound of children's laughter fills the air_

_Everyone is singing_

_I hear those sleigh bells ringing_

_Santa won't you bring me _

_What I really need_

_Won't you please bring my baby to me_

_I don't want a lot for Christmas_

_This is all I'm asking for_

_I just want to see my baby_

_Standing right outside my door_

Raven wondered if Chelsea was thinking about Ronnie as they watched the movie. She knew Chelsea was all she would be able to think about if she were watching it without her. She looked over at the red haired girl. Tears were spilling down her cheeks. Chelsea always loved a good romantic movie. They always made her cry. It was one of her more endearing qualities.

As the movie ended, Chelsea excused herself, and went into the bathroom to get changed for bed. Raven quickly changed into her pajamas and climbed into her bed. She decided that she wouldn't be able to handle it if Chelsea wanted to stay up all night talking about Ronnie. So she turned over to face the wall, and feigned sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

The weeks following to finals were strange for the two friends. They still spent time together, in fact they spent more time together than ever, but things were different. Chelsea felt Raven being standoffish with her. She knew she should try and find out what was going on, but she didn't have a whole lot time to do it. She was a science major, and with finals coming up she had a lot of work to do. Raven was also pretty busy working on final projects for her design classes.

Ronnie had seemed nonplussed at the fact that Raven had seen them kiss. In fact, she thought it was a good thing. As she put it, a little jealous never hurt anyone. Only Raven wasn't acting jealous, if anything, she seemed overly supportive. No matter how hard Chelsea tried, she couldn't convince her that she and Ronnie were nothing more than friends. So Ronnie had helped her come up with a totally new approach to finding out Raven's feelings, but it would have to wait until over winter break.

Finals week turned out to be a lot easier on her than she thought, and by time they were over she felt like she'd done a pretty good job. She was ready for classes to be over, though, and left the dorm the afternoon of her last final.

Chelsea's parents were to be out of town the first week she was home, and she decided to throw a party. She invited some of the people from her fraternity over as well as most of the people from QA. She'd gotten a reluctant Raven to agree to bringing the food, and helping set up. Eddie had agreed to DJ, and Ronnie was going to supply a little holiday "cheer."

Everything was going better than Chelsea thought, and then she saw an opportunity to set the first part of her plan into action. Raven was standing in the archway between the dining room and the family room where the party was to be. She was so busy talking to Eddie, she hadn't even noticed Chelsea's arrival, or the wink Chelsea shot at Eddie. He walked over to his table to finish setting up his equipment.

"Nice outfit, Rae." Chelsea said trying to stall Raven.

"Thanks, I like yours, too." Raven said with a smile.

Then Chelsea did it. She leaned over and kissed Raven square on the lips. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but it wasn't a peck either, and she knew Raven was shocked because she gasped as their lips parted.

"What…what….what was that for?" Raven asked her breath a little ragged.

"Silly, you're standing under the mistletoe." Chelsea replied pointing up. She had to keep from smiling at Raven's reaction.

Raven kept opening her mouth like she had something to say, and closing it when no words came out. Ronnie had walked into the dining room behind them, and looked at Chelsea puzzled. The redhead looked up with her eyes, so that only Ronnie knew what she was saying, and when the older girl saw what stood above them, she grinned and gave Chelsea a thumbs up sign.

"What…what about Ronnie?" Raven asked finally finding her voice.

"What about her? Raven, I keep telling you, we're just friends. Besides, it was just a friendly little peck. Where's your holiday spirit?" She asked grinning at the stunned look on Raven's face. Then she turned and walked away.

Operation Raven's heart was under way.


	14. Chapter 14

Raven didn't know what was going on with Chelsea, but she could swear that Chelsea was flirting with her, and ever since that kiss they'd shared under the mistletoe, all she could do was stare at Chelsea's lips. Which she got to do a lot, since she and her best friend had spent almost the whole night dancing together. If you could call what they were doing dancing. She didn't know how many drinks Chelsea had had, but if she got any closer to Raven while they were dancing, they'd be fused into each other bodies. Not that Raven minded, it was quite the opposite. Raven was enjoying it a little too much, and she felt moisture down between her legs, that she knew had little to do with sweat.

"What's up with Chelsea tonight?" She asked Eddie once she got her chance to dance with him.

"I'm not sure, but you two look like you're having a really good time together."

"We are, but that's the thing. Why is Chelsea acting like that?"

"Maybe because she thinks you're hot." Eddie suggested.

"No, that can't be it. Maybe she's just drunk." Raven said thoughtfully.

Eddie rolled his eyes at the way she over rationalized the situation. "Whatever you say Raven."

"Oh snap! This is my song." Raven said breaking away from Eddie, and dancing. Chelsea walked back over to her and they started dancing again, and Eddie shook his head at how hopeless the two were.

Raven helped clean up after the party, but declined Chelsea's offer to stay the night, knowing she'd had a couple of drinks and couldn't be held responsible for her actions. She didn't see a lot of Chelsea over the next couple of weeks, because it was the holiday season, and she really wanted to spend some time with her family. They did talk on the phone or over messenger everyday, which somehow thrilled and depressed them both.

"Hey mom," Raven said as she entered her kitchen.

"Hey honey, what are you up to today?" Her mother asked walking over to hug her.

"I was just going to ask you the same question." Raven said sheepishly.

"Well Raven, you know I'm always happy to spend time with you, but wouldn't you rather be spending time with your friends?"

"Well, Eddie had to go pick his grandmother up from the airport. So, he's busy." Raven said turning away from her mother. "I figured you and I could do something fun."

"Of course we can. Well maybe we can go out to lunch or something…wait Rae, what about Chelsea?"

"Huh? Chelsea?" Raven asked feigning innocence.

"Yes, you know, you're other best friend. You didn't mention her."

"Oh well, she's probably busy, you know, serving food to the poor or something. After all, it is the season of giving."

"I might be going out on a limb, but are you avoiding Chelsea by chance?" Tonya Baxter asked, looking at her daughter.

"No, of course not, why would I be avoiding Chelsea?"

"Well because you are avoiding telling her how you feel."

Raven's eyes shot up to her mother. Had she heard her correctly?

"Don't look so surprised. No one has to be psychic to see how you feel about her."

"Mom, I…I can't talk to you about this." Raven said rising from her seat.

"Look I know I took your being gay pretty bad. But then I began to see the way you looked at Chelsea. I saw my baby look at someone the way I look at your father, and I realized it wasn't about what I wanted for you because ultimately I just want you to be happy. I know that Chelsea makes you happy." Tonya said.

"Mom, Chelsea doesn't feel that way about me." Raven said allowing her tears to flow freely.

Tanya walked over and embraced her daughter. "Honey, I've had the pleasure of knowing Chelsea for many years, and I watched grow into a very beautiful young lady. I've also watched her feelings go from friendship, to adoration, to love."

"I know Chelsea loves me. She just doesn't _love_ me."

"You know, for a psychic, you sure are blind. She looks at you the same way you look at her."

"Oh, mom, I wish that were true. More than anything I wish that were true."


	15. Chapter 15

Chelsea eyed the present one more time hoping it was the right choice. She'd spent months mulling over the present before she'd actually bought it. It taken Chelsea a while to find it, but once she had she knew it was perfect. She checked her watch. She was running late. Raven and Eddie were going to be waiting for her at Chill Grill.

She spotted them right away in a booth. She walked over to them and sat down next to Eddie. "Sorry I'm late, guys. I sort of lost track of time." She looked over at Raven and felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter. Raven had been having that affect on her lately. Every time they saw each other, which hadn't been often considering the holidays had come and gone, she felt like she was looking at Raven for the first time. Was it possible that Raven was more beautiful every time she saw her?

"It's cool, Chelsea, we ordered loaded fries, hold the bacon, of course." Eddie said next to her.

"Okay, lets get to the presents because you know I can hardly wait for mine." Raven said with the enthusiasm of a kid.

"Okay, okay, well open mine first." Eddie said handing a wrapped box across the table.

She tore at the wrapping paper excitedly, and when she opened it, she found the Juicy Couture Goddess necklace that she'd been talking about for the past two months. She stood over the table and hugged Eddie tightly "Ooo, thank you Eddie! I love it."

"I knew you would. You've been going on and on about it for months."

"Okay Chels, open mine next." Raven said, sliding an envelope over to her friend.

Chelsea wondered what it could be. Last year Raven had gotten her tickets to her favorite Broadway musical. She tore at the envelope impatiently, and pulled out what looked like a gift card. Then she flipped it over to the front. "It's a National Park Pass! I've always wanted one of these. That's so sweet. Thank you, Rae." Chelsea said sincerely she stood up and hugged Raven over the table.

"Yeah, that pass will get you into any national park, monument, and museum all over the U.S. for free. I figured it might be something interesting for you to do over the summer." Raven explained.

"Yeah, I totally will. I am so excited. It's a really great present." Chelsea said. She was really touched by the gift. She'd always gotten the feeling that her friends never really understood how much the environment and nature meant to her. She looked up just in time to see Raven watching her. She wasn't quite sure what it was she saw in Raven's light brown eyes, but she couldn't look away.

"Okay Chelsea it's my turn." Eddie said breaking the connection between the two girls.

She unwrapped a small box, and lifted the lid. There she found a silver charm bracelet with a crown on it. She knew he was trying to remind her of the time she was queen of the dance, and tried to make everyone dance to that horrible music. She smiled at him and slid her arm around his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Thanks Eddie, it's beautiful."

Eddie really enjoyed his new computer program that Raven and Chelsea had bought together. It was the latest program for DJ's. It was supposed to connect something to something else. Chelsea couldn't remember everything the guy at the store had said, but it had been pretty expensive. And judging from Eddie's reaction to it, it was worth every penny. She couldn't remember ever having seen him that excited over something.

Then came the moment that Chelsea had been anticipating and dreading. She handed the box over to Raven, and watched her face. Raven smiled over at her, and the unwrapped the small box. When she lifted the lid, a little frown appeared, followed by recognition and then astonishment. "It…it's just like…the one my grandmother had." Raven said, her voice cracking.

"I know. One of my first memories of you is when you told me you wanted to have a ring just like hers some day." Chelsea said looking over at her friend. This moment made it all worth it. She gladly pay a million dollars to see the look that graced Raven's delicate features.

"How did you ever find it?" Raven asked removing the ring and sliding it on her finger.

"I went around to a few antique stores, but eventually I found it." Chelsea replied, trying to appear nonchalant, when inside she felt like jumping up and down.

"It's the best present I've ever gotten. Thanks so much, Chelsea." This time Raven stood up from the table, and pulled Chelsea up to stand with her, she immediately wrapped her arms around her friend in a tight embrace.

_Yes, it was definitely worth it_.


	16. Chapter 16

Raven adjusted her necklace one last time. She spent an hour getting ready for this party. She wasn't even sure why. It was just a couple people from QA getting together over Ronnie's house for New Year's. _Who are you kidding, Baxter? You know why you're getting dressed up_. Raven smiled and twisted the ring on her finger. Chelsea. She'd never thought it was possible, but she was now more in love with the red haired beauty then she ever was. Chelsea's present had touched her in a very deep way. There hadn't been anything particularly special about her grandmother's ring. It'd had a sun on it with a tiger's eye stone in the middle. She was surprised Chelsea had been able to find one that was almost identical, but she had. It was in that moment Raven knew that she would never be able to get past her feelings. She was Chelsea's forever.

She arrived at Ronnie's at eleven o'clock. Everyone was pretty much already there, and she found her eyes immediately scanning the room for the only reason she was there. Chelsea sat over in the corner, wearing a strapless, black, tulle party dress, and a black flower in her long wavy hair. She was laughing at something Eddie said, and as if sensing she was being watched, she turned her head, and her eyes locked with Raven's. Their eyes stayed that way until Raven was standing in front of the brown-eyed girl.

"Hey Chels, you look great." Raven said eyeing Chelsea's body in her dress.

"Thanks Rae, so do you. I love your outfit." Chelsea replied returning the look.

It was like their eyes were magnetic and they didn't even notice Eddie until he cleared his throat.

"Nevermind, I'll just compliment myself." He grumbled.

Neither girl had a chance to respond because Ronnie entered the room. "Who's ready to get the party started?" She asked and everyone cheered in response. "How about we start things off with a little round of B.S. drinking game style?"

Everyone seemed to be game and moved around on the floor to a big circle. Chelsea turned out to be a lot better at the game than Raven had expected, but by the end of the game she'd had seven shots. Raven hadn't fair much better, she somehow managed to take nine shots, and she was feeling pretty nice. Eddie however had lost and had taken eleven shots by the time all was said and done.

"Ok, now that everyone's all liquored up how about a little game of truth or dare?" A guy named, Brandon suggested.

A few people groaned, but most people seemed interested. Eddie was sitting in the corner chatting with Ronnie's younger sister that was home from Stanford. And a few people were dancing or making out. So the only people left to play were, Ronnie, Jaime, Chelsea, Raven, and Brandon. Aside from Brandon, Raven knew everyone else pretty well.

"Okay, okay, I'll go first." Ronnie volunteered. "Baxter, truth or dare?"

_How did I know she was going to ask me first?_ "Truth, I guess." She thought going for the safer choice.

"Have you ever wanted someone you couldn't have?" Ronnie asked looking from Raven to Chelsea.

_OMG! She knows_, Raven thought with a slight panic. She looked over at Chelsea, who seemed to be interested in hearing the answer. She took a deep breath and answered. "Yes, I have wanted someone I couldn't have." _And I still do._

"Okay, Jaime, truth or dare?" Raven asked taking her turn.

"Truth." Jaime said immediately.

"What exactly happened between you and Professor Wolf?"

"Well, let's just say that A I got in Poly Sci was earned by more than just my studying habits, if you know what I mean, okay…" He said high fiving Brandon.

"Chelsea, truth or dare?" Jaime asked.

Chelsea hesitated for a moment. "Truth…"

"Who is the one person who's body you're hot for?"

Raven felt her voice catch in her throat as she waited for Chelsea's answer.

"I'd...I'm…I'd rather not say." She replied with a blush.

Jaime looked like he was going to press the issue, but Ronnie sent him a silent message, and he seemed to reconsider. "Okay you don't have to say the name. But are they in the room now?"

"Yes."

That simple answer from her lips sent Raven's mind spinning. She wondered who it could be, and she secretly hoped it wasn't Ronnie. Chelsea then dared Brandon to lick whip cream from Jaime's crotch. And Brandon dared Ronnie to kiss one of the random girls there at the party. Then it was Raven's turn again.

"Raven, truth or dare?" Ronnie said with a wicked grin.

"Dare." Raven said thinking she was going with the safer choice.

"There's five minutes until the new year. I dare you to kiss Chelsea Daniels when the ball drops."

Raven felt her mouth go dry, and thoughts refused to form in her brain. She thought about all the ways of getting out of the dare, but then a thought stopped her. She wanted to kiss Chelsea when the ball dropped. Now, she had an excuse, and besides, Ronnie was staring at her, her right eyebrow arched in a challenge. Raven wanted to slap that arrogant look off her smug face.

"Fine, I will."

After that, Raven found it hard to concentrate on the game. Plus, five minutes wasn't a long time to prepare for an event that would forever change your life. By the time twenty seconds had approached, Raven was a bundle of nerves. Chelsea took her hands and led her to the corner slightly away from everyone.

"You know Rae, if you don't want to do this, you don't have to." Chelsea said to her quietly, though Raven thought she heard disappointment in her voice.

"No, a dare is a dare." Raven protested.

"Well ok, but can we stay here? I don't want everyone gawking at us. At least not yet…" Chelsea added with a wink.

Raven wasn't sure how to respond to that gesture or what to think. She didn't have a lot of time to dwell on it because everyone was already counting down. "…9…8...7…6…5…4…3…2…1…Happy New Year!" Everyone shouted.

Raven took one last look into Chelsea's beautiful brown eyes. "Happy New Year, Chelsea," She murmured before lightly brushing her lips against the taller girl's. She was about to back away when she felt Chelsea's arms go around her neck, and add pressure to her lips. Raven had to hold herself in check to keep from crushing Chelsea's body against hers. She did let her hands fall to Chelsea's waist, pulling the girl closer to her as she deepened the kiss. Chelsea felt and tasted better than Raven could have ever imagined. It wasn't until their tongues were tentatively touching that Raven realized she'd let things get too far.

She pulled back, and she was sure she heard a whimper of disappointment come from Chelsea. She took in her angel's face as she tried to catch her breath. Chelsea's lips were swollen and pouty from having been kissed, and her breathing was shallow, but the one thing that bothered Raven was the slightly glassy look in Chelsea's eyes. The redhead was drunk, and Raven had almost taken advantage of her.

What Raven didn't know, was that Chelsea hadn't had a sip of alcohol that night.


	17. Chapter 17

"So how was your kiss?" Ronnie asked as she and Chelsea walked to class.

An instant smile came to Chelsea's face as she thought about the kiss. "It was better than I could have dreamed."

"I bet, and…?"

"And?" Chelsea asked with a frown.

"And, what does that mean for the infamous Raven and Chelsea? Are they? Aren't they?"

"They aren't…" Chelsea replied with a sigh.

"What do you mean they aren't? I thought you said the kiss was great."

"It was, but that's it. I've spent everyday with her since that night, and she hasn't even brought it up. It's like it never happened."

"That's weird. Maybe she didn't like it." Ronnie said cautiously.

"No, she liked it. I mean you don't just kiss someone like that and not mean it. There's something else going on." Chelsea mused.

"What do you think it is?"

"I'm not sure, but I intend to find out."

"On the bright side, you have your answer."

"Yes I do, and it makes me so happy, but I don't get why she won't admit how she feels."

"Who knows, you two are the most complicated people I know."

"Not on purpose, I can promise you that."

"So is there any chance the I might get a demonstration on exactly how good this kiss was?" Ronnie asked wiggling her eyebrows.

"Give it up Veronica, I have and always will be a one woman kind of girl." Chelsea replied chuckling at her friend's antics.

Ronnie shrugged. "Hey, if things don't go as planned, you know I'll always take care of you." She said with a wink. But even as she said the words, they both knew that that would never be necessary. Chelsea was determined more than ever to get the woman of her dreams.

"Eddie, she doesn't remember the kiss. She was drunk." Raven stated for like the tenth time since it had happened. A part of her was hurt and angry that Chelsea wouldn't remember something that had been so earth shattering for her.

"What makes you think she doesn't remember?" Eddie countered.

"We've spent at least some time together everyday since New Year's, and she hasn't mentioned it, not once. It's like it never happened." Raven was distraught.

"Have you said anything?" Eddie asked.

"Well, no…"Raven answered sheepishly.

"Why not?"

"Well because it would be embarrassing if I remembered, and she didn't. I mean I already feel bad enough that I took advantage of her while she was drunk."

"Maybe you didn't take advantage of her. Maybe she wanted you to kiss her."

"If she did, it must have been the alcohol talking."

Eddie rolled his eyes at her. She could be so thick sometimes. "Fine Rae, whatever you say."

"Look Eddie, I just need learn to control my hormones better than I have in this past month."

She and Eddie parted ways when they reached the Commons. She walked down to the lower level to check her mailbox, and noticed that they'd posted signs for the upcoming musical. She walked over to the poster and looked at it. The musical was going to be _Rent_. She nearly squealed in delight. Auditions were next week, so that meant she didn't have a lot time. She raced back to her dorm room all the while planning what she would wear to auditions. When she reached her room she pulled out a few of her sketches from her design classes, and flipped through them. She needed something that said strong, successful, lesbian attorney. She thought maybe a black and white corset shirt with pinstriped tailored black gauchos and heels would work. They said professional, yet powerful, but she would need to hurry and find the patterns.

She was so engrossed in her work; she didn't hear Chelsea come into the room. It wasn't until the scent of strawberries surrounded her, and she felt a warm breath on her sensitive earlobe, as Chelsea spoke, that she realized there was another person in the room with her. "Hey Rae, what are you up to?"

Raven turned her head and her lips were within a few inches of the girl who was bent over her shoulder. _Okay Baxter, time for some of that self-control you were talking about_.

She forced her eyes away from Chelsea's lips and back to the sketches. "I'm…um…coming up with a design for the musical auditions next week."

"Oh cool, you're auditioning for the musical next week? What musical is it?" Chelsea asked, but she still was leaning over Raven's shoulder, making Raven break out in goose bumps and her pulse race.

"It's…it's _Rent_."

"Oh awesome," Chelsea said, straightening and walking over to her bed to drop her book bag. "You're a shoo in. That's one of your favorite musicals."

"Yeah, well I hope so. It's rare for a freshman to make it into the spring musical as an ensemble member, let alone a main character."

"Yeah, but Raven you have an amazing voice. I'm sure you'll knock them dead." Chelsea said smiling over at her.

She wasn't sure why, but Chelsea's encouraging words made her feel less nervous. Then an idea came to her. "Hey Chels, would you come audition with me? I could really use a friendly face and some moral support."

"Gee, I don't know, Rae."

"Oh come on, it will be fun. Please…"

"Well what part would I audition for?"

"Um, you could just try for the ensemble. It's nothing too major, and like I said, it's really hard for a freshman to get into the spring musical."

"What the hell, sure I'll go and be your moral support."

She didn't realize just how much moral support she would turn out to be.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: I know that technically, _Rent _would not allow a college to buy the rights, but I've decided to take a little artistic liscense. So I have to have another disclaimer. I don't own anything that has to do with _Rent_. Enjoy!

The day of auditions approached a lot faster than Chelsea had expected. I guess it didn't help that she hadn't had a free moment since Saturday and it was now Thursday. She'd started tutoring Kendall Martin, who was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for. She'd had to run the Tri Beta bake sale in the Commons. WIS had had a rally on the environmental danger of Styrofoam, and now she was auditioning for a play. _I must be out of my mind_, she thought as she waited outside of the auditorium for Raven.

Raven arrived five minutes later. She looked great. Chelsea hadn't gotten to see the new outfit her friend had been working night and day on for the past week. Looking at it now, she knew Raven was sure to get the part. In fact, Chelsea was feeling a little underdressed standing next to Raven, but she'd had to rush from lab. So she hadn't had a chance to change.

"Um, Rae, am I dressed okay?" She asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Yeah Chels, you're fine."

"I just feel underdressed. I mean look at everyone."

It was true. It seemed everyone auditioning came dressed in the ideas of what the characters looked like.

"Chelsea, you're going to go in there and knock them dead." Raven said wrapping her arm around Chelsea's shoulder. Too bad Chelsea was too nervous to enjoy the simple gesture. _Remember, you're here to support Raven._ That thought seemed to calm her nerves. They walked in together. And took audition forms from someone Raven told her was the stage manager.

"People, people, please settle down. My name Robert Testani, and I am the director of this production. If you could please fill out your forms and hand them to out stage manager, Stephanie, I would greatly appreciate it. Then I will call you back in individually for you solos. I would like to begin in exactly fifteen minutes. So please be timely in filling out the forms." Said a man standing on the stage. He was dressed in a red t-shirt and baseball cap, tattered blue jeans and converse sneakers. He had very effeminate mannerisms. She also knew that he was one of Ronnie's teacher's and very nice, but a little rough around the edges. And he really appreciated people that weren't intimidated by his gruffness.

Raven and Chelsea handed their papers to Stephanie, and went to stand outside. Chelsea counted thirty-five people including her and Raven. And she knew they were only going to cast about thirteen people. She wondered how many people would be showing up tomorrow. There were eleven people called before Raven. Earlier in the week, when they'd actually had two minutes to see each other at dinner, they decided to both do songs from Chicago since it was one of the only musicals that Raven had the sheet music for.

She tried to move closer to the door, hoping maybe to catch a little bit of Raven's audition. She didn't need to, by the time Raven hit the third verse of "When You're Good to Mama," she could be heard clearly by everyone. Chelsea even saw a few people, whom had seemed so confident only moments before, cringe in intimidation. When Raven finished and exited the auditorium, Chelsea hugged and praised her. Raven was so talented. It was one of the many things Chelsea loved about her. Another ten people went before it was Chelsea's turn.

She took a deep breath as she entered the theater and walked to the stage. She handed the music to the pianist and then climbed up the stairs. She walked to the middle of the stage and stood in the spot light.

"Okay Chelsea Daniels, what will you be singing for us this evening?" Robert asked.

Chelsea cleared her throat before answering. "I'm going to be singing 'Roxie' from _Chicago_."

She waited for her introduction. Closing her eyes she saw Raven's face, encouraging her, and she just let go.

_The name on everybody's lips  
Is gonna be Roxie  
The lady rakin' in the chips  
Is gonna be Roxie_

_I'm gonna be a celebrity  
That means somebody everyone knows  
They're gonna recognize my eyes  
My hair, my teeth, my boobs, my nose…_

Raven raced over to the Commons. Her design class had run behind schedule, and she was later meeting Chelsea. Today they were going to post the cast list. She'd been excited all weekend. Chelsea kept telling her she was sure that she'd made it, but Raven wasn't as certain. She really wondered if Chelsea had made it. She'd really been surprised at auditions. Her friend had really held her own. And more than anything Raven was proud of her.

She ran and didn't stop until she'd reached the information desk on the second floor. Chelsea was already waiting. She and Raven had agreed they would look together, and Chelsea met her with anxious gaze. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She replied grabbing Chelsea's hand. They walked over to the desk, took a deep breath and looked.

_Joanne Jefferson…………………………………………………Raven Baxter_

_Maureen Johnson………………………………………………..Chelsea Daniels_

"Ahh, Rae we did it!" Chelsea screamed, jumping up and down.

"I know, girl, I am so psyched." Raven said beaming.

"I can't believe I made it." Chelsea reflected.

"I can, you were awesome at auditions." Raven reminded her.

"So congratulations Joanne."

"Same to you, Maureen."

Chelsea smiled a goofy grin at her crinkling her nose. "Well I actually have to run, I have lab in about 15 min, and I need to get there early."

"Okay, I'll see you later then." Raven said as Chelsea turned and left.

Raven was floating on cloud nine. She had landed her dream role. Joanne Jefferson. Lawyer, archenemy of Mark, lover of Maureen, _Lover of Maureen…Oh snap! Life just got really complicated._

"I'm going to have to kiss her!" Raven practically shouted at Eddie over dinner.

"So?" Eddie responded.

"So? So? I'm not just talking about a one shot thing. I will have to kiss her everyday for almost two months." Raven added.

"Again I say, so? You know you want to kiss her."

"Yes that's true, but not like this. I don't know how I'm going to be able to keep my emotions and my hormones in check when I turned into a puddle of mush the one time our lips touched."

"Yes is does seem you will have a problem there."

_You have no idea._


	19. Chapter 19

Tonight was the first night they were going to block 'La Vie Boheme.' It was also the first time in the play she and Raven had to kiss. Chelsea was exhausted. She had no idea that doing a play, especially a musical, was such hard work. Luckily for her, she wasn't in a lot of the scenes so she'd had some time for studying. But tonight was the big night. She and Raven had been practicing the play every night since they'd been cast. They'd practiced choreography, songs, the few lines either of them had. It had helped Chelsea a lot since theater wasn't really her thing. The only thing they hadn't practiced was the kissing. Heck, they hadn't even talked about it. To make matters worse, there was a song, 'Contact,' where she and Raven had to simulate having sex, bad sex, but sex nonetheless, and if she couldn't even get Raven to even talk about the kiss in the play, how were they ever going to survive a sex scene on stage?

It didn't help that Raven still hadn't talked about the last kiss. Chelsea was starting to think maybe she'd read more into it than what it was. She needed to know if what she'd felt wasn't just one-sided. And she was still thinking about as she stood on stage watching Karen Peters, the choreographer, show them the blocking for the song. It involved a long table in which she was going to have to jump up and dance on. It had been rough at first, to get used to playing a character as forward as Maureen, but now Chelsea loved the confidence she felt when she played her. And she was certainly going to need it.

She had a quite a bit of singing in the beginning of the song. Karen had them walking in and being stopped by the host. Then they went to sit at the table. So far everything was going well that was until Karen said, "Okay Chelsea, when Erik says '…_you bet your ass_…you're going to climb up on the table and moon the audience."

"Oh ok…wait I what?" Chelsea asked in shock. She heard a few of the upperclassmen snicker.

"You're going to moon the audience. Didn't you read that part in your script?" Karen asked her.

"Oh yeah, of course I did…I just forgot." Chelsea replied trying to cover up her embarrassment. She'd been so worried about kissing Raven, she completely overlooked that little bit of stage direction in her script. She sent a worried look over to Raven who was behind stage. She shrugged sympathetically.

She wasn't completely comfortable with the idea, but by time she'd done it for the twentieth time, she was used to doing it. The next part they worked on was the choreography everyone had to do at table. It had to be synchronized. Erik was on the table dancing. Chelsea had to admit he was really good, and she knew he had a little crush on Raven. She knew he posed to no threat. If anything she felt sorry for him as she caught him stealing little glances at her when she wasn't looking. And she never missed the absolute look of adoration on his face when they did their duet.

"…Okay Raven, and you come in rushing over to Chelsea. Chelsea go ahead and sing your line. And Raven sing yours too."

**_Maureen_**_  
Is the equipment in a pyramid? _

**_Joanne_**_  
It is, Maureen _

**_Maureen_**_  
The mixer doesn't have a case  
Don't give me that face_

"Okay and this is the first time we see Maureen and Joanne together. Neither of them is very secretive about their relationship, but Maureen loves attention so her actions tend to be more of a show than Joanne's. Whenever you see these two kiss, it's always Maureen that is the aggressor. So Chelsea that's what we're going to be trying to convey." Robert said, pacing in front of her and Raven. "So when you sing, '…_don't give me that face…_' I want you to grab Joanne's face, not too roughly, and kiss her passionately."

"I think I can handle that." Chelsea muttered to herself.

"Okay, well take it from the top of Erik's last verse."

It was like everything sped up, and before she knew it, she was wrapping her arms around Raven's neck and pressing her lips to hers. Their first kiss had nothing on this one. She lost herself for a moment, reveling in the feeling of Raven's soft lips. She almost forgot where she was, until she heard someone clear their throat. She ducked her head in embarrassment. She completely forgot that the throat clearing was supposed to happen.

"Chelsea, that was perfect. Keep up that look of being caught up in the moment. It's perfect. Just don't forget you line next time. Okay people let's take it from where did the last time." Robert called from the audience.

She looked over at Raven for the first time. She saw that the kiss had affected her just as much. _So I wasn't wrong_, she thought. Maybe this could work in her favor. As she moved back to spot by the table, Ronnie caught her eyes, and gave her a wicked grin. She returned the grin with a wink.

This time she kissed Raven a little more passionately but didn't let herself get totally caught up because she didn't want to miss her cue again. Aaron cleared his throat, and she said it…

**_Maureen_**_  
Hey Mister - she's my sister_

They practiced the kiss a few more times, and while it was wreaking exquisite havoc on her body, Raven was definitely worse off. Her breathing was becoming shallower with every kiss, her skin looked slightly flushed, and the last time she rushed on stage she'd almost tripped. Chelsea liked the affect she was having on her friend more than she should, but she couldn't help it. She'd never been able to kiss Raven with such abandon and the feeling was heady and wonderful.

She had some more choreography to get through. She was really having a great time. The guy that played 'Collins,' Desman, kept making her laugh while she was dancing with him on the table, and she and Raven got to dance together a lot. She knew their second kiss was coming up, and she was actually really excited. This time Raven would be sitting on the table, and she would climb on top of her and kiss her with more passion than had been displayed in the first kiss. The first time they tried it, Desman fell off the table when he tried to jump, and got tangled in the chair. Luckily he wasn't hurt, but it had caused the whole cast to break out in fits of laugher. It took three tries for them to get to the part where she had to kiss Raven again. Suddenly she looked into Raven's eyes, and nothing was funny anymore. Raven was looking at her in a way that made her want to melt into a puddle.

She bent her head to capture Raven's lips, and felt the girl beneath her take control of the kiss. She felt Raven's hands in her hair, and she was lost. She pulled back just in time for their line, and it seemed neither of them could take their eyes from the other's as they uttered "…_we're close…"_ Luckily, Desman and Jaime immediately shared a kiss following theirs, so no one noticed what was happening. Suddenly their relationship was changing.


	20. Chapter 20

To anyone that saw Raven and Chelsea after that first night, it would appear that nothing about them had changed. Chelsea was still busy with classes, clubs, and tutoring. Raven had joined the Student Fashion Association, and was making a few new friends. They would still stay up late into the night talking about anything and nothing. They ate in the dining hall with Eddie whenever they got the chance and he wasn't out with Ronnie's sister, Magdalena. But at night on stage they were in their private world, where the rules no longer applied, and Raven's feelings didn't hide in the shadows. On stage, Chelsea was hers, and no one else's. Raven had even let a glimmer of hope in that Chelsea might actually return her feelings. Every time they kissed, Chelsea looked at her in a way that made her toes curl. And once their lips touched, it was hard for her to let go.

She wasn't sure how they'd ever made it through 'Contact.' Hearing Chelsea say those words, and feeling her tall slender body against hers, she thought she might burst into flame. It was a good thing the scene took place primarily under a white sheet. Tonight was opening night, and Raven was excited. Her parents and Cory were in the audience, Chelsea's parents, Eddie, and a few people from the Chill Grill, had also come to the performance.

She looked over at Chelsea's mirror. She'd set a little gift and note in front of it. She'd searched high and low for the perfect present for her friend. She'd been wondering in a children's store looking for a particular piece of fabric, when she'd seen it. There was a charm shaped like a cow jumping over the moon. She couldn't have thought of anything more fitting. She'd bought a silver chain to go around her neck, and the note said:

_To the Maureen to my Joanne,_

_I just wanted to say that you've truly amazed me over the past two months. Your talent is limitless, and I couldn't have done this without you. I love you forever, girl._

_You're best friend,_

_Raven aka Joanne_

Chelsea arrived fifteen minutes later and started getting ready. When she noticed the little bag and note, she immediately looked over at Raven. "Rae, you shouldn't have. I didn't get you anything."

"Oh don't worry about that. Just open it." Raven said walking over to her.

She opened the little box and read the letter. "Thanks so much, Rae" She said standing up and embracing Raven. Then she did something neither of them expected. She brushed her lips against Raven's. It shocked them both, and Chelsea blushed slightly. "Guess I was just practicing for later." She joked.

"Yeah, I guess so. Well, I'd…better…go get ready." Raven said reluctantly. She walked back over to her counter. She touched her lips that were still tingling. _Practice makes perfect._

Everything went well during the performance, and they even got a standing ovation. Chelsea had totally stolen the show with her outrageous portrayal of Maureen. She'd even had the whole audience mooing along with her at the end of 'Over the Moon.' The audience seemed to love her and Chelsea's performance of 'Take Me or Leave Me', which had gone off without a hitch. It was so much fun being on stage with Chelsea she'd almost forgotten there were people out there watching. When the show was over they all stood behind stage high fiving, back slapping a job well done. She was wrapping things up when Chelsea walked in. She looked up at her beautiful face and decided that tonight would be the night that she would tell her how she felt. She was about to walk out of the room when her eyesight blurred, and she was frozen in place.

"_I'm sorry, Raven. I just can't do this anymore. I can't pretend to be something that I'm not."_ Raven's snapped back. She wanted to cry. She'd been all wrong about Chelsea's feelings.

"Raven, what's wrong? What did you see?" Chelsea asked with concern.

"What? Oh nothing, don't worry about it. Why don't you just go out with the cast? I'm not feeling so hot." Raven replied. It wasn't a complete lie. Right now she felt like she might throw up.

"Are you sure? I mean if you don't feel well I could just go back to the room with you and…" Chelsea asked again.

"Yes, I'll be fine. You go on and have fun. I just need some rest." Raven told her. While inside her heart was breaking.


	21. Chapter 21

Raven had been distancing herself little by little everyday for the past month and a half. Ever since the opening night of the play, she just hadn't been herself. Chelsea was hurt and concerned, but she couldn't find a way to reach Raven. Even when they were in the same room, which wasn't often anymore, she felt all alone. Chelsea was miserable. Her grades were suffering a little. She was even starting to lose her appetite. Things were so bad that Raven hadn't even looked in her direction in days, and she was going insane. She wondered what she could have possible done to her to make her act that way. Raven had long since stopped sharing things going on with her, and Chelsea had found out via Jaime, that she had been invited to have her designs in the upcoming fashion show that school put on every year called _Runway_. It was apparently a huge honor to have your designs chosen, especially since Raven was just a freshman. So she knew Raven was busy with that. But, truth be told, as much as Chelsea loved her romantically, she missed having Raven's friendship.

She knew she had to go to the one person that knew everything. _Eddie_. She'd gotten him to agree to meet her for lunch off campus at the vegetarian café down the street from campus. He walked in a few minutes after she did and they sat over in a secluded corner.

"I'm sure you know why I asked you to meet me." Chelsea stated after they'd placed their orders.

"Chelsea, you know that I can't tell you anything Raven told me. She's my best friend too." Eddie started.

"I know Eddie, but I'm dying here. She hasn't spoken two words to me in over a week, and last night she stayed over Jaime's. I have to know. Did I do something? Please tell me." Chelsea begged tears springing to her eyes.

"No, you didn't do anything, at least not yet." Eddie said the last part so quietly she wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly.

Then a thought struck her. Raven had been acting weird ever since her vision on opening night. "Her vision…" Chelsea whispered. When Eddie nodded in agreement she continued. "Did I…did I hurt her in her vision?"

"Well, not exactly, you know her visions they're always a little vague." Eddie replied.

"Yeah, I know. I just wonder what she saw. I would never intentionally hurt her. I love her. I wish she could just see that."

"Yeah well remember you didn't see it for a while." Eddie reminded her.

" True, but I do now. I just can't figure out why she's holding back from me. She was doing it before the vision. Like the kiss at New Year's, she has never acknowledged that it happened. I can't figure out why." Chelsea mused. Then she looked over at her friend. He had taken great interest in his napkin. "You know, don't you? I should have guessed."

"Yeah, I know, but you know I can't say anything."

"Oh come on, you can't tell me _anything_?"

"Well, there is one thing. She thinks you were drunk."

"I wasn't, but even if I was, why would that make difference…and ohmygod, she thinks I was so drunk I don't remember doesn't she?"

"Well in a word, yes." Eddie answered just as the waitress came back with their orders.

"Okay, her actions over the last few months are beginning to make more sense. And I bet she feels like she took advantage of me, and now this stupid vision makes her think I'm going to hurt her. What am I supposed to do?" She asked throwing her arms up in exasperation.

"Maybe you should try showing her you're not going to go anywhere." Eddie said taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Eddie that genius. And I know just how I'm going to do it." She said with a bit of her wrap.

The first thing she had to do was skip her two o'clock class. She really hadn't wanted to, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She knew Raven's classes were done for the day, and since she had two designs to work on, Chelsea knew she'd be in their room.

"Hey Rae," She said nonchalantly as she walked in the room.

The sewing machine stopped. "I uh, I thought you had a class at two." She said suspiciously.

"Yeah, I decided to skip it."

"You skipped class? Are you okay?" And for the first time in what felt like forever Chelsea got to see the honey colored eyes that she loved so much.

Chelsea couldn't stop the tears that sprang to her eyes, and were now spilling silently onto her cheeks. "No Raven, I'm not okay. I haven't been okay for a long time."

Raven hesitated and closed her eyes. Then she rose from her seat and walked over to Chelsea. When they were face to face, Chelsea could see tears in Raven's eyes, and that just made her cry harder. "Why Rae? What did I do? Why won't you tell me?"

"Shh, shh, you didn't do anything. I just…well I've been being a jerk lately. I didn't realize how much it was hurting you." She said as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"How could it not? My best friend in the world just stops talking to me, without so much as an explanation."

"I know. I had a vision, and it…well that's not important. I thought I could keep it from happening. I just didn't realize it would be at your expense. I never wanted that to happen."

"What was your vision?" Chelsea asked.

"I can't…I can't say right now. Just know that I'm sorry that I hurt you. That was never my intention."

It hurt Chelsea that Raven wouldn't confide in her, but at least they were talking. She nodded in understanding and let herself be embraced. "Is it…are we okay now?" She asked pulling back.

She saw Raven flinch at the question before answering. "Yes, we're cool." Raven answered slowly.

"Good because now you can tell me about what you're going to be showing at Runway." She said offering Raven a tentative smile. When it was returned, she breathed a sigh of relief. Things weren't perfect, but they were getting better. And by the end of the month, Chelsea planned to make Raven hers.


	22. Chapter 22

Raven was nervous as she stood back stage watching her two models, Rosario and Blanca, get ready. She peeked from behind the curtain to see who was in the audience. She saw her parents and Cory, Eddie and Magdalena, Jaime and his boyfriend, Brandon, and even Ronnie was there. Only one person was missing. Chelsea had told her she wouldn't be able to make it. She'd had a meeting with some professor in the Science Department, and she hadn't been able to get out of it. Even though Raven understood, she'd still held out hope the maybe she'd show up.

They'd made up over the past two weeks. It was still a sore subject for Raven. She knew Chelsea completely forgave her, but she still couldn't believe she had hurt her best friend because she was being selfish. Her mind flashed back to Chelsea sitting on her bed sobbing. She vowed for as long as she lived she would never cause Chelsea that much pain ever again.

"Oh Raven there you are, someone dropped this off for you." Desman said handing her a lily and a note.

"Oh ok, thanks Desman." She called after him. Before opening the note. She recognized Chelsea's handwriting immediately.

_Raven,_

_I'm so sorry that I'm not there right now. I never would have imagined that I'd have to miss your big night, but I hope the flower will remind you to keep me close to you tonight. I know you're on my mind. Congratulations, you deserve it girl._

_Love always,_

_Chelsea_

_P.S. Do you have a date to the dance tonight? I think I know someone who would really like to go with you._

Raven folded the letter and brought the flower to her nose. She tried not to let the fact that Chelsea was trying to set her up with someone dampen her good mood. She didn't have a lot of time to dwell. The show was starting.

When the show had come to an end, she felt like she was floating on air. Everyone congratulated her and she got to meet a few designers that had encouraging words. They told her to build up her portfolio over the summer, and they looked forward to seeing her next year. Eddie handed her a bouquet of flowers, and she hugged him and thanked him for coming. They stood talking for a minute about the show. Then she felt hands cover her eyes.

"Guess who…" Said a voice that sent a shiver down her spine. She'd know that voice anywhere.

"Hey Crystal, I didn't know you were coming." Raven said hugging her.

"How could I miss your big night?" Crystal said, smiling at her. Though she'd seen Crystal around campus since they broke up, they hadn't spoken since the night of their last date.

"Awww, thank you." Raven replied giving her ex a hug.

"Oh and here, a beautiful rose for a beautiful lady." Crystal said pulling out a white rose. It was the same type of rose she'd given Raven on their first date.

Raven accepted the rose with a blush. She wasn't sure what to do or say, but Crystal was being really sweet.

"So, I was wondering if you have a date to the dance tonight." Crystal said eyeing Raven slowly.

Something in Raven wanted to tell her that she was already spoken for, but she also didn't think she could handle being set up by the girl she wished was going with. So instead she said to Crystal, "No, I don't have a date."


	23. Chapter 23

Chelsea raced back to the dorms from the science department. She was so excited. They wanted her to be a lab assistant next semester. She was going to ask Raven to the dance tonight, and she and Ronnie had picked out a killer outfit that was sure to make Raven's eyes bug out of her head. The only thing that had gone wrong was that she hadn't been able to make it to Raven's fashion show. She ran in the room just in time to see Raven getting ready to go to the dance.

"Hey Rae, how was the show?" Chelsea asked eagerly.

"It was so great! I met a lot of cool designers, and it was just so great." Raven gushed. "How was your meeting?"

"Oh it went well. They want me to be a lab assistant next semester." Chelsea said with a big smile.

"Oh Chels, that's awesome! I'm so excited for you." Raven said, jumping up and hugging her friend.

"I know. So, did you get my note?" Chelsea asked casually.

"Yes, and that flower. It was beautiful. Thank you so much." Raven said smiling sweetly, and Chelsea felt her heart melt.

"So um what's your answer?" Chelsea asked nervously

"My answer to what?" Raven asked distractedly. She was brushing her hair in the mirror.

"You know, to the question on the note."

"Oh, about that. I kind of do have a date for the dance." Raven said putting down her brush.

"Oh," Chelsea replied trying her hardest to keep the hurt out of her voice. When Raven turned to face her, she knew she'd failed miserably.

"Yeah, Crystal asked me at the fashion show."

"Crystal?" Chelsea's voice cracked. "You're going with Crystal?"

"Uhm, yeah…out of curiosity, who wanted to go with me to the dance?"

"Huh? Oh, just a girl who thought she stood a chance with you."

"Chels, are you ok?"

"Yeah Rae, I'm fine. I just… I have to go." Chelsea said turning and leaving the room.


	24. Chapter 24

She had been at the dance for a little over an hour, and Raven was still perplexed by Chelsea's sudden departure earlier. She watched the entrance to the dance as she danced with Crystal. She'd had hope when she saw Eddie enter with Magdalena, but Chelsea wasn't with them.

"Hey, are you looking for someone?" Crystal asked breaking her reverie.

"What? Oh no, I'm just people watching. You know how I like to watch people's entrances, to make sure they don't outdo mine." Raven answered.

"Oh, well, you don't have to worry about that. When you're in the room, everyone's eyes are on you." Crystal said looking into Raven's eyes.

"You are so sweet." Raven said smiling up at the girl. Crystal was a really great girl, and an even better girlfriend. If she weren't so in love with her best friend, they could have really been something special.

The entrance of Ronnie and her friends interrupted her thoughts. Chelsea was the last one to come in, and Raven felt her mouth go dry. The halter dress she was wearing was teal. It tied around her neck and plunged in the front. The overlapping side hems showed off her gorgeous long legs. And she was wearing delicate heels that buckled around her slender ankles. Her long red hair had been swept up away from her face with goddess curls falling to frame her face. Her eyes scanned the room until they fell upon Raven and Crystal dancing. Her eyes narrowed and she quickly looked away, and walked onto the dance floor, grabbing Ronnie's hand. Raven watched as the two of them danced like they were certainly more than friends.

She danced to a few more songs with Crystal, but she couldn't keep her eyes off of Chelsea. With every step that she took, every time she smiled, Raven felt her heart slip further and further away from her. Every now and again she would lock eyes with the redhead and Raven's breath would catch. Crystal caught this a time or two, but Raven just played it off. They finished dancing to one song and then Raven mumbled something about being thirsty and walked off the dance floor. She searched the room for Eddie, and found him dancing with Magdalena. She finished her cup of punch and walked over to the dancing couple.

"Hey, do you mind if I cut in." Raven asked.

Magdalena looked like she definitely minded, but one look from Eddie and she acquiesced. Raven stepped in her place facing Eddie. "So you two look like you're having fun."

"I know you didn't cut in just to tell me I looked like I was having a good time with my girlfriend. What is it that you would like to know?"

"What makes you think I want to know something?"

"Because I've known you almost your whole life, and I dated you briefly, and I was surprised to see you here with Crystal. So again I ask, what is it that you want to know?"

"Well you see, the thing is, when I told Chelsea that Crystal asked me, she walked out in a huff. I don't understand why she would do that."

"You don't understand why she did that? Didn't she tell you she had someone for you to go with?"

"Yeah, but truthfully, I really can't handle her trying to set me up on a date with someone else."

"Okay, I know she would probably kill me for telling you this, but at this point, even if I told you two everything, you still wouldn't be able to get things right. So I'm just going to tell you. She was going to ask you to the dance."

"That's ridiculous. Why would she ask me to the dance? I think you're wrong." Raven replied.

"See what did I tell you? You two are hopeless. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my date."

Raven walked back over to where Crystal was standing. Her head was swirling, and she felt a little dizzy. Crystal asked if she was okay. She told her all she needed was some fresh air. So the two walked outside to the patio. Crystal started talking to her about all the things that had happened since they'd broken up, and how she'd really grown as a person over the last couple of months. Raven wasn't really listening because Eddie's words kept playing over and over in her mind. Eddie had to be wrong. He had to be. Why would Chelsea want to ask her to dance? Chelsea had said she had someone else in mind for Raven, hadn't she? Someone who… "_just a girl who thought she stood a chance with you…_"Chelsea words struck her. "Does that mean she thought she stood a chance with me…?" Raven mused out loud.

"Excuse me?" Crystal asked.

"Oh nothing, please continue." Raven replied, determined to listen intently this time.

"As I was saying, I've been thinking about you nonstop over the past months. I really miss you. I would love it if we could try to give us a second chance." Crystal said with a smile.

Raven didn't know how to respond. She could do the easy thing and start dating Crystal again, or she could take a chance on true happiness, and go in there and find out why Chelsea had wanted to ask her to the dance. One look into Crystal's eyes, and she knew her answer.

"Look Crystal, you're really great, and I've missed the great times we've shared. But I have to admit something to you. Something I should have told you when we first broke up. I'm in love with someone else."

Crystal tried her best not to show her hurt. "It wouldn't happen to be Chelsea Daniels, would it?"

"Chelsea? What makes you say that?" Raven stammered.

"I guess that answers my question. You know I always suspected it when we were together, but I could never put my finger on it. She doesn't know, does she?"

"Nope." Was all Raven could say.

"Well if I were you, I'd go tell her before she beats you to the punch." Crystal said with a smile. "You know I'll always love you, Raven Baxter."

"And I want you to know that even though we broke up, I did always care." Raven returned. "I'm sorry it couldn't be me." The two embraced, and she walked back into the room. Taking a deep breath she walked over to where Chelsea was dancing with Jaime.


	25. Chapter 25

"Mind if I cut in?" Raven asked meeting Chelsea's eyes. Raven saw an uncertainty there that she hadn't seen before.

"Not at all." Chelsea said stepping away.

"I was talking to Jaime." Raven replied with a smirk. She stepped in front of Chelsea and took her into her arms.

_If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?  
If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?  
If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call  
If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all_

I never know what the future brings  
But I know you are here with me now  
We'll make it through  
And I hope you are the one I share my life with

"I don't know if anyone's told you this tonight, but you look amazing." Raven said looking into Chelsea's eyes. She enjoyed the slight blush that appeared on her friend's face.

"Well several people have, but I've only been waiting for one person's opinion." Chelsea replied shyly.

"Is that so? Whose was that?" Raven asked, but she had the feeling she already the answer.

"Yours…" Chelsea admitted looking Raven square in the eye.

_I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand  
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?  
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?_

If I don't need you then why am I crying on my bed?  
If I don't need you then why does your name resound in my head?  
If you're not for me then why does this distance maim my life?  
If you're not for me then why do I dream of you as my wife?

"Raven, where's Crystal?" Chelsea asked quietly.

"She left." Raven stated calmly.

"Why! I mean you two looked like you were having a good time."

"We were."

"Oh," Chelsea replied with a disappointed look. Raven tried to hide her smile.

"Then, she told me she wanted to be get back together."

"Oh? And…and what did you say to that?" Chelsea was trying so hard not show her anxiety, so Raven decided to let her off the hook.

"I told her I couldn't because I was in love with someone else." Raven said with a smile.

"Someone else?" Chelsea asked as the words sank in.

"Yeah, I'm in love with someone else."

_I don't know why you're so far away  
But I know that this much is true  
We'll make it through  
And I hope you are the one I share my life with  
And I wish that you could be the one I die with  
And I pray in you're the one I build my home with  
I hope I love you all my life_

"Raven?" Chelsea wanted to ask a question.

"Shh, I think we need to have a long overdo talk. Why don't we get out of here?" Raven suggested taking Chelsea hand.

They took the long way back to their dorm. Both were too nervous to speak, so they spent the first few moments in silence. Then Chelsea spoke.

"I'm sorry, Raven. I just can't do this anymore. I can't pretend to be something that I'm not. I'm tired of not being Chelsea Daniels."

Her vision. "Chelsea what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that, I have never been afraid to say anything to you. We're best friends, and I've been hiding something from you for almost a year, and I don't want to do that anymore."

"What…what have you been hiding from me for a year?" Raven asked unsure of herself.

"I…I…this," Chelsea answered, pulling Raven to her, and kissing her with all the passion and frustration she'd been feeling. She felt Raven respond and kiss her back. Chelsea, feeling a new boldness, ran her tongue along the seam of Raven's lips, begging for entrance, which Raven gladly gave. When their tongues first touch, it sparked an ignition within both of them causing each of them to moan. They stayed that way until they could no longer breathe and were forced to pull apart.

"Wow, you don't know how long I've waited to do that." Raven said in between breaths.

"Then why didn't you?" Chelsea asked with a smile.

Raven took her hands and looked deep into her eyes. "I fell in love with you a long time ago. And I think somewhere along the line, I got used to hiding my feelings for you. It was safe for me."

"Yeah, but you didn't need to guard you heart from me. You know I would always protect it."

"I know that. But a part of me never thought it was possible for you to love me like that."

"Yeah well, for a psychic, you sure are blind." Chelsea said with a chuckle.

"You know my mom said the same thing."

"You're mom?" Chelsea asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it seems the only person that I was good at hiding my feelings from was you."

"Yeah. So here we are. What now?"

"Well, I'm the only one that's done some sharing." Raven hinted.

"Oh right, well I definitely have had some strong feelings for you over this past year." Chelsea started.

"Strong feelings?" Raven prompted.

"You didn't let me finish. At first, I thought I was just going through a phase, but then they only progressed, and before I knew what had happened, I had fallen hook, line, and sinker."

"Really?" Raven asked, almost afraid to believe.

"Yes, geez girl, you can be so thick. I love you Raven, with my whole heart."

"I love you too, Chelsea." Raven replied, her heart swelling. "No matter where we go from here, we'll be together."


	26. Epilogue

Chelsea looked back into their nearly empty room. So much had happened in the past year, she still couldn't believe it. Raven walked up behind her and wrapped her arm around her waist. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being in Raven's arms.

"What am I supposed to without you for a whole summer?" Raven whispered into her ear.

She spun around and wrapped her arms around Raven's neck. "I'll be home for the next two weeks, and it's not like we don't live right next to each other." Chelsea replied.

"I know, but it won't be the same. I won't be able to just hold you when I want. You'll be the first girl that I've ever 'brought home' so there will probably be some weirdness at the Baxter's for a while.

"True, but hey, it's better than nothing. I mean I will be away for a total of two months, thanks to your beautiful Christmas present."

"Is it too late to take it back, and get something else?" Raven grumbled.

Chelsea giggled. "You know I love that present. Plus, I'm looking forward to spending that time with my mom. Maybe we'll become close again. And I promise to write you a letter whenever I get a new place. How does that sound?"

"Well it's no phone call, but it will do, I guess." Raven sulked.

"Hey, none of that, you know they said that absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"I'm still trying to make up for the last four years."

"Well there's not time like the present" Chelsea said ducking her head to steal a quick kiss.

It seemed Raven was having none of that. She pulled Chelsea's body roughly against her and ran her fingers up Chelsea spine, as she deepened the kiss. Chelsea couldn't stop her body's reaction. Soon she was thrusting her fingers in Raven's hair, and dueling with her tongue for control. Chelsea knew she had to pull away before things got out of control, and she reluctantly did so.

" I thought we were going to take things slow." She said trying to control her breathing.

"We are." Raven said with a wicked grin.

"That didn't feel slow."

"I'm sorry, I just got carried away." Raven replied sheepishly.

"It's okay, I was right along with you. I think we'd better get going. You're mother is waiting for us to help her at the restaurant." Chelsea said grabbing Raven's hand and leading out of the room.

Their future was so uncertain, but they had all summer to work on that.

The end.

A/N: Okay kiddies, that's all for now. I am working on a Popular fanfic at the moment, and I will be write the sequel to this story as soon as I'm done with that one. So be on the lookout for both. I hope you all enjoy.


End file.
